Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-20
A TURKISH PALACE.
A BEAUTIFUL IDIFICE, CONSTRUCTED
IN THE ITALIAN STYLE.
Doors Inlaid with Massive silver-sc lp-
tured ard Gildod ceilings-Artistie
Effects. &c.

DffCllDmp Nioit 10 icneI fBili
Palace, NJ. Emile Julliard says in an
article in the Cosmopolitan : II Is
beautiful, rectangular edifce OF ele-
giant proportions, but it is neither
byzantine nor Moorish. IL is con
strucied in the Italian style, with an
immense terrace on top, which serves
a. a roof, and which is surrounded by a
superb balustrade. IL has but single
ficor, reached by an elaborate stairway,
and is lighted by a row OF very high
windows. These windows are Of anex-
ouisiie design, and consist of n single
Tane of glass, on either side OF which
are beautiful columns of genuine iaspar
lapis-la2uli, and porphyry. Altogether
the structure is striking, pleasing, and
con mOdiOus.
The locotion particularly is admira-
bie-about lG4 feet from the waters
edge, upon slight eminence, from
which view may be had that alone IS
worth the whole palace. Two marble
payilious, with pretty roofs, are plea
sanity situatedat the two extremlties OF
he quay, which has On opening toward
the middle, making a graceful landing
place, whittier come the six-oared
barges of the Sultan to be boarded.
The palace has several annexes. That
on the left, elegantly and tastefully
constructed, is the imperial harem,
whose grated Windows speak OF sorrow
and slavery. That on the right is the
residence of princes and high officials
of the palace. This edifice is naturally
much less rich and less SNOWY than
that OF the Sultan.
In company with friend and guide
Invent through the interior OF the prin-
cipal palace. and We dragged ourselves
rather than walked across the spacious
rooms, whose iDlaid doors with massive
silver handles, whose ceilings in sculp-
tured and gilded compartments, whose
haneings, curtains, and canOpies IN
silk brocade and gold. seemed to steam
with the most flightiul CanW that
could fall upon the head of mortal man
Scarcely any furniture and very few
seats. Cashmere carpets covered the
greater part of the floor, and being OF
nostimable value they seemed to re-
proach you for every step you took upon
| their marvellous texture. ] said to my
self. amid all these sumptuous things,
not one of which is cheerful, coy, OF
home-like, that the poor man con
demned to submit TO them night and
day was more worthy Of pity than
| envy.
Had even the walls been ornamented
with few pictures of the masters +; II
| had seen the forms OF some graceful
statues in the angles of these absurdly
solemn halls; but no, nothing for the
heart, nothing for the, soul every
where q coarse luxury So costly that II
is repulsiye, for it has for its counter
part the misery and rags Of scyera
millions of people.
In one room, called the cabinet d.
fraraH, in which the Sultan shuts him
self for the purpose of doing nothing
| and getting a little more Disguised
with life than somewhere else, 1 was
asked to admire the tassels of the cur
tains, each of which cost G,00O francs
| 81, 2OO), enough to enable family O
honest people TO live yearin ease an
comfort. In the same room | Wa
obliged, however, to go into ecstasie:
over an enormous clock of pure sill
yer, representing, if my memory serves
me Alright, n tiger-hunt Ny guide die
not call my attention to the talent tina
the artist had exhibited in his work
he told me simply that this big clocl
weighed a hundred pounds, and tina
there entered into its construction
10000 francs worth of silver (S6, OOO)
without including the workmanship
the movements, the face ornamente'
with precious stones, and the gol'
hands, which altogether were worth a
least three times as much more.
1t was in the imperial court, situate'
in the centre of the palace, that | wa
shown the turning column that Sulta
Abdul Aziz, when he occupied Tchera
gan, took care to have turn every morn
ing on its axis in order to assure hin
self that the ceiling was not settlin
and threatening to crush him. For III
Hiehness, who was killed with
pair of scissors by Midhat Pasha, ha
the singular presentmont that he woul
die from the falling Of ceiling, an
he thought, Justly enough, that a turn
ing column whose upper extremlt
erazed the ceiling would indicate b
its rotary movement whether the roc
was still disposed to respect life
which the Sultan chung very ten
ciously.